title: The anti-proliferation effect of Aikete injection on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aikete injection is composed of acetylshikonin and β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin, which have been reported to have anti-tumor effects on a wide range of cancer cell lines. However, little is known about the effects of the combination of the two components on cancer cells.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the anti-proliferation activity of Aikete injection on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and its mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay and growth curve assay were used to determine the inhibitory effect of Aikete injection on the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells. Giemsa staining, Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry were used to assess cell apoptosis. Expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry. H22 bearing mice were also used to determine the anti-tumor effect of Aikete injection in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aikete injection inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells in both a dose- and time-dependent manner in vitro. The characteristics of apoptosis were observed in Aikete injection groups by Hoechst 33258 and Giemsa staining. In addition, Aikete injection induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and downregulated the Bcl-2 expression and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax in SMMC-7721 cells. The experiment in vivo showed that Aikete injection significantly inhibited the growth of H22 carcinoma, with an inhibitory rate of 34.37-57.99%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrated that Aikete injection suppressed the growth of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo by inducing cell apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, West China Center of Medical Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Yi-ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiu-ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zheng-jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xia-jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li-hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Li-ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D009285:Naphthoquinones; C032573:beta, beta-dimethylacrylshikonin; C073944:acetylshikonin